Perfect Stangers
by othisluv
Summary: AU:Dean&Peyton have known each other, even if only slightly, for most of their lives. But where does that leave them after a heated relationship, long absences, and a son Dean didn't know existed. Is it possible to fix something that has been shattered?
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Don't own OTH, SPN, or Deep Purple's song. I rewatched the OTH pilot and decided to go back in time with this fic. Jensen Ackles is always on my mind, so I dreamt this up. Enjoy.

* * *

_Can you remember remember my name  
As I flow through your life  
A thousand oceans I have flown  
And cold spirits of ice  
All my life  
I am the echo of your past_

_I am returning the echo of a point in time  
Distant faces shine  
A thousand warriors I have known  
And laughing as the spirits appear  
All your life  
Shadows of another day_

_And if you hear me talking on the wind  
Youve got to understand  
We must remain  
Perfect strangers_

_I know I must remain inside this silent well of sorrow_

_A strand of silver hanging through the sky  
Touching more than you see  
The voice of ages in your mind  
Is aching with the dead of the night  
Precious life (your tears are lost in  
Falling rain)_

_And if you hear me talking on the wind  
Youve got to understand  
We must remain  
Perfect strangers_

Hi. I'm Dean. Dean Winchester. I'm feeling talkative today, but don't get used to it.

I was three years old when my mom burst into flames on the ceiling of my brother's nursery. Before it happened, dad worked during the day and mom stayed home with us. We were happy. After, Dad left. Sure, he would stop in on the weekends, I think mostly to make sure when we were old enough that we would be able to help. Anna and Larry Sawyer became our family. They took in a three year old boy and his baby brother, an infant. They didn't have any kids of their own, but they certainly knew how to be parents, despite my bitterness. I just wanted my mom to come home, but she never did, she was gone…forever.

The six years we spent with the Sawyers were great. I never appreciated until one day, it was gone. Anna's chocolate chip cookies, Larry's games of football in the front yard. Dad came, and he decided that we were old enough to be okay. We didn't need to intrude on the neighbors any longer. It didn't matter that Anna desperately wanted a family, or that we desperately needed a family. We moved to the next town, so that the Sawyers wouldn't know we living alone, stealing and everything else to get by. Dad was preparing us for the fight he wanted us join him in. To him, if we could survive on our own at nine and seven, we would be a hell of a hunter when the time came. He was right. We're both damn good at what we do, but I never really forgave him.

I snuck back to Tree Hill about 5 years later to see the Sawyers. She made me chocolate chips cookies, and I regretted never thanking her for all she did for us. They had adopted a little girl about a month after we left. A little girl with blonde curls had found herself in the hearts of two very deserving people. Apparently her mom couldn't take care of her, and Anna was able to have the family she needed, and no one could take it away from her this time. Except maybe God. Four years later I read about the accident in the newspaper, and that was the last time I cried.

I went to the funeral, stayed in back, afraid to let Larry see the bitter teenager I had become. I was 19, and the little girl with blonde curls was 9. The pain in her eyes reminded me of the pain I saw in my dad's eyes every time I looked at him. Larry was heartbroken, and when I could bear to look at him anymore, I found myself under a bridge, watching the water stream past me.

The curly headed child found me sitting there.

"_Sorry." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand in an attempt to stop the tears. She didn't succeed. Not that it matter, the tears were dropping from mine anyway. "I didn't know anyone was here."_

"_I'm sorry about your mom." Escaped my mouth. Was I really that stupid. I'm sorry doesn't help anything, and I know that, but I guess not much else comes to your mind when you don't know what to say._

"_How do you know about my mom?" She whispered behind her sobs, while taking a seat about a foot away._

"_We used to be neighbors, she was a very special woman." I said as I wiped my own tears, for her mom and for mine. "I lost my mom too. I was three, and you're mom was there for us a lot after that. Name's Peyton, right?" Her confused look prompted further explanation. "We met when you were like five or so."_

"_Oh." She stopped talking as her gaze shifted to the water as his did. Not that she could see through the tears. "What's yours?"_

"_Dean" The afternoon passed in silence until Dean finally decided to leave. It was back to the life of the hunting. "It won't stop hurting. But it'll get easier." He offered before walking in the opposite direction of the bridge._

That was the last time I saw her. I wasn't some kind of a perv though, so don't be thinking that. She was nine and she lost her mother, who was, hell she practically my mother for my formative years. It made an impression, it is not often that something links me to another person, so of course I remembered her. Now though, you can call me a perv, because the curly haired blonde standing in front of me is sending thoughts through my head that should not be there. I know it's her by the car, it was Anna's, and the blonde curls scream of the girl whose mother died eight years ago. Okay, so I am definitely a perv; I'm twenty-seven, so she's , what, seventeen. That's legal…almost.

Her anger isn't hidden as the steam floats up from the obviously overheated motor of the black car. Her curls are blowing in the wind, and her Ramones shirt is covered slightly by a red tinted leather jacket, hanging slightly over her fitting jeans. Has it really been that long since I've been with someone, she's seventeen and I don't seem to care. My car approaches her slowly and I take careful care while pulling my own baby into the grass. I gently shut the door to my car and stand in front of hers. I try to be cool, not say anything, just pretend I am checking out the blown motor, but I am really just liking the pissed off look she is giving. You can just see how feisty she is. It's kind of sexy.

"It's blown." I say.

"Why thanks, Sherlock." Was accompanied by a pointed look in my direction, to which I gave a smirk. Next thing I know, she is dialing her phone, obviously more pissed off at the person on the other end than she is with me.

"can't you just leave the gym… It'll take like 10 minutes." The other person must've hung up because she is annoyed and she closed her phone without any more words.

"Need a ride?" I say breaking her from her thoughts.

"I don't know you. I'll pass. I'll just call the tow truck now." She said dialing another number.

"Yeah, I'm on river road, just around the bend….A black comet…uh huh. Ok, thanks."

She notices me still standing there and pulls the hair from her eyes to say "You can leave. I said I didn't need a ride." She is feisty, and kind of rude.

"You don't remember the bridge after the funeral. I guess not, that was ten years ago." I say to myself more than to her, and begin walking to my car, yelling behind me. "Oh well, suit yourself." I close the door and roll the window down when I see her approaching my car slowly. She is really hot. Damn it, Dean, stop it, seventeen. "What?" I say when she stops by my window.

She doesn't say anything for the longest, just looks at me confused, and I can tell she is remembering. "Sorry, wasn't my best day, and I couldn't really see you then. Blinded by tears." She said turning back around to walk towards her car. Is that all she really wanted, to see if she remembered me.

"Okay, so now that we're not strangers. Do you want a ride?"

"Why not? Nathan won't leave his precious gym." She just slammed the door to my Impala.

"Watch it. Baby, she didn't mean to be so rough." I say patting the dashboard. Why are women so rough on cars. It's really no wonder hers is smoking on the side of road.

"Sorry, it doesn't have feelings, you know." Who does she think she is?

"Yes, it does. And you can quit pretending that you don't either. Who's Nathan? Sounds like an ass."

"He is." She shrugged.

"Okay. So do you still live on sunshine drive?" Funny, right? Cause she's just a ball of sunshine.

"How'd you know that? Oh yeah, you were a neighbor. The house is fine." She goes back to looking out the window. Man, talking to her is like pulling teeth. Okay, so maybe I'm exaggerating.

"So…ten years? How've you been?" I try to make small talk. I wouldn't mind getting to see Larry when I take her home, if I'm not nice she won't even think about letting me. Letting me, what am I saying? She won't tell me about him, if I'm not nice. Can't tell old Larry about how sexy his teenage daughter is though. That would no be okie dokie. Did I ever mention how much I like people who say 'okie dokie'.

"We don't have to talk. I've met you twice, we're not friends or anything."

"You're kind of a wench, you know that. I was a part of Tree Hill once, maybe I was wondering how you're dad is. There was a time when he was more of a father than my own."

"A wench, huh? You don't know me, so don't act like this 15 minute conversation makes you an expert on my character, Dr. Phil. Dad is fine, out on a sea fishing boat, as usual." Sea fishing, huh? Sea fishing , hunting, sea fishing, hunting equals absentee father. Add that to the dead moms and we are peas in a pod.

I pull up to her house, and it looks exactly the same. The same bench is on the porch that Anna and Larry used to sit on in the summer to tell me and Sam stories. I shake the thoughts away when I hear the door opening and her leaving the seat beside me. I also notice the black SUV in the driveway and an angry teenage boy leaning against it. I guess she noticed too, because she turned around and stuck her head back in the car. She kissed my cheek, and says kind of loudly "Don't let it be ten years before I see you again, Dean." She did it to make him jealous. It worked. I heard him yell "Who the hell was that Peyton?" as I drove off. I didn't care. Ten years and she still remembered my name.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Okay, so I know this was only going to be a one-shot, but I got this idea tonight, and I really just want to draw off the history I already created for the two. So this is a pretty significant time jump and you can obviously tell that a lot has happened since then, and I will fill you in on pieces of that slowly as it will probably be significantly different. I guess for now, you should know that the first chapter was when Peyton was around 16 and still dating Nathan, and now we are probably about 10 years down the road. sorry for the long A/N, just wanted to explain. Hope you love Dean/Peyton as much as I do. And sadly, I don't own Supernatural or One Tree Hill, and even sadder, I don't own Jensen Ackles (sigh). Enjoy.

* * *

Peyton furiously wiped down the yellow countertop of the café. On her feet for 10 hours straight, she still hadn't become accustomed to this, even after five years. Days like this were especially hard on the woman, watching as families walked through town with their children. They all held happy smiles on their faces and a certain quirk to the steps, as if they were walking on air. She wished she could have that, but her life was very different.

Lucas walked in to see the blonde working as if she had been challenged to rub a whole in the counter with her rag. Her hair was pulled up as it normally was, her clothing loose from the weight she had been losing, and the circles under her eyes seemed to grow each time he saw her. The green sparkle in her eyes that used to be present had also seemed to fade. He knew when his mom gave her the job a few years ago, that it would wear her away, but she wouldn't accept help from him or Brooke, or Nathan and Haley. She was stubborn, to a fault. Working had allowed her to keep up her childhood home, pay the bills, and put food on the table. It hadn't, however, allowed her time to be Peyton Sawyer, and for that he was sad.

"Hey, stranger." She said almost silently as he slipped into one of the stools at the counter.

"Hi, everything okay?" he questioned glancing at the pace of her arm.

She glanced down, stopping her motions, obviously having been unaware of her actions. "Yeah, it's just been a long day, I'm kind of on auto-pilot right now."

"I can take over from her if you want to take the rest of the evening off. I know since Mom left with Andy that running this place hasn't exactly been the easiest."

"It's fine, really. I mean you have a life to go live. This is my job anyway, and you know how much I depend on it."

"Peyton, let me help." He placed his hand on hers, and he couldn't help but notice the small droplets of water forming in her eyes, that is until she looked away. She hadn't shown weakness in so long, she couldn't now, not knowing that one breakdown would set her back and likely lead to more. Wanting to alleviate the tension, and help her keep her emotions in check as she obviously wished, he added "Besides, Brooke flew to New York this morning to meet with Victoria about the clothing line they are going to start. You know how lost I get without her around. I need the distraction."

"I really would like to get out of here." She admitted after watching yet another couple walk down the sidewalk in front of the café, a young girl in their arms and boy attached to their hands.

"I know, so go." He walked behind the counter and wrapped one of the red aprons around his waist, motioning with her hands for her to scoot. She hugged him quickly before removing her similar apron and whispering. "Thanks Luke" to which he just smiled, hoping that she would make the most of the afternoon without punishing herself too much for the situation she was in. If only she could just allow herself to feel happiness.

She walked to the booth by the window and slid in, and skillfully shook her curls loose from the tight hold they had been in. She picked up a pencil and got a sheet of drawing paper from the stack in the middle of the table, and began tracing the outline of a young boy of about 6 years old. She was interrupted from working on his eyes, when a similar pair flashed in her mind, a pair that had been absent for nearly 6 and half years.

Across the café, Luke noticed the blank expression on his friends face and spoke from across the counter in the half empty café. "Peyton." She shook her memories off, and turned to look at the man. "It's a nice day, don't waste it. Go to the park or something."

"Yeah, momma, let's go to the park. I want to play on the merry-go-round." She cracked the first smile she had all day seeing the impending excitement flash in her son's eyes.

"Okay, sweetie. Let me get my coat. Put your things in your backpack, okay."

"Yay." the boy squealed, something he had likely picked up from spending many afternoons with Brooke. Lucas smiled, thankful that his godson's presence never failed to make her smile, even if nothing else would.

She returned from the back with her purse and coat, offering Luke a thanking smile as she and J.D. left the café for the park. A light sting grazed her heart knowing that it would only be her walking with her son, she couldn't give him the father that she knew he so desparately wanted and needed in his life, much as she had needed her mother in hers.

She took a deep breath after exiting the café. The air was crisp and slightly cool, much as it is on most spring days. The trees were showing signs of new green leaves, and buds forming on flowers along the sidewalk. Days like this almost made her feel alive again. Almost. "Do you want to stop by and see if Jamie wants to go?" She asked as she grabbed his hand in her own before beginning the journey a few blocks over.

"Not really, can it just be you and me today, momma?" he asked sincerely. She knew they hadn't been spending the time that he needed with his mother, and another sting entered her heart. She regretted everything she couldn't give her son, including more of her.

"Sure thing, buddy. Let's go get that merry-go-round." She said quickening their pace, which she knew would only spark his excitement more.

When they finally reached the park, they noticed how bare it seemed with only a few other children on the swings, the slide with one child, and the merry-go-round completely empty. She wasn't sad though, she knew her son would be delighted that they didn't have to wait their turns. She was, however, curious because days like these often overcrowded the park. She temporarily brushed it off to the new park opened across town across town, it had monkey bars. "Looks like we won the lottery, J.D."

* * *

Back at the café, Lucas was getting along well. The café seemed to die down a little after the rush of after-schoolers passed. He was rolling up napkins for the next day when a tall dark haired man walked in, sitting down directly in front him, his gaze focusing on the phone as he texted to someone on the other end. "Hey, can I get a cup of coffee?"

"Sure thing, black?"

"Yeah."

"Thanks." Lucas watched the man slide his phone back into his pocket with ease, and began sipping his coffee, and checking his watch. He noticed something familiar about him yet, he couldn't place it.

"Are you waiting on someone?" Lucas asked, not meaning to pry but trying to feel out whether another cup would be needed, or maybe he was prying.

"Yeah, he's a little late, but if you knew my brother it would surprise you, he gets sidetracked by anything with legs, and if they are exposed or carrying a heavier load, then his brain practically shuts down."

"Say no more, my brother used to be the same way." He said referring to Nathan days before Haley.

"So…" He squinted his eyes a little to read the nametag on the man. "Lucas." He reached his hand across the counter to shake. "I'm Sam. Nice to meet you."

"Same here."

"So Lucas, do you know about anything weird going on around here, more particularly around the buildings on Maple, around the graveyard and park?"

"No." Lucas shook his head too, wondering what could be possibly have brought up this question. He didn't need to ask for the taller man to explain himself, obviously catching the question in the other man's eyes.

"I've just heard some rumors about ghosts and was kind of interested. I don't you suppose you believe in them?" A smile gracing his lips, assuming that would be a 'no'. He stated the last sentence as a question just in case. There was nothing too strange about believing in ghosts, especially if you knew they really existed.

"I'm not really sure."

"How are you not sure?" Sam quipped.

"It's just, a while back, I was in a coma, and my Uncle Keith came to see me there, I'm not really sure whether that would be classified as a ghost or just my subconscious."

"I see." He looked down at his cell phone, and looked up again rolling his eyes in the process. "Looks like he's gonna be awhile."

"Want something to eat while you wait?" he asked, thankful for the conversation with someone, but not wanting to neglect his duties as a server.

"Actually, that wouldn't be so bad. Can I just get a burger." He said after reading the menu on the wall briefly.

"Of course." Luke said before turning to tell the cook to make a burger.

When Sam's eyes trailed the wall back down from the menu, his eyes caught sight of a black and white drawing of a car posted.

"That is a pretty amazing sketch on the wall there."

Lucas couldn't remember what was hanging on the wall, and turned quickly before explaining. " Ah yes, the '65 Impala. My friend's son, my godson, is obsessed with the car, I've never been able to figure it out, but he drew that last week. Pretty good for 5 right?"

"He's gifted. I'll have to remember to show my brother if he ever gets here, that what he drives. I think he would give up sex if he had to choose between it and car." After their conversation from minutes earlier, he knew exactly what that meant.

As soon as Luke set the burger down in front of Sam, Peyton and J.D. walked through the door. They had been gone for a little while, and Luke suspected that Peyton would come back to ensure everything was closed up properly. Karen had left her in charge of the café, and she intended to see that she didn't screw that up.

"Hey, Luke. Nathan will be here in a minute to pick up J.D, do you mind keeping an eye on him, while I run to the back and check stock?"

"Yeah, of course." He watched the little boy climb into his usual booth and take out his ipod and begin drawing yet another Impala.

Dean walked through the single glass door of the café knowing that there was a chance of seeing her. He expected her to still be in LA, especially after all the speeches he had heard of how great LA is. When he saw the curls bounce away toward a door in the back of the quaint little café, he wasn't so sure. He quickly got himself in check, not letting himself think it was her, but still cursing himself for the actions he had only recently performed with a sultry redhead he had seen through the dress shop window.

He focused himself again, seeing that his brother was engaged in conversation with some guy at the counter, he looked around at the rest of the café. He noticed the boy sitting in the booth by the wall, and noticed the drawing beneath his fingers. It was an Impala. Finally a kid with good taste, he thought to himself. "Nice drawing you got there, kid." He said as he slid into the adjacent booth so that they were facing. He knew when his brother was done talking; he would get the hint and join him so that they could discuss business.

"Thanks. It's a '65 Impala." He said never breaking his gaze the pencil and paper contact.

"Trust me I know what it is." He said trying not to sound too asshole-ish, as it was a young kid he was talking to.

"You do?" the boy questioned, glancing up briefly to see Dean playing with his keys.

"I have one." The little boy gaped his mouth in awe and stared at the man in front of him, but Dean's attention had already shifted. He heard her voice break through from behind the wall to the back room, and then he watched as the young child rang quickly to the blonde he had once called his and excitedly ask. "There is a man with an Impala out there, can you take me outside to see it? PLEASE!!!!" That's when everything changed, the room started spinning and closing in around him, he was able to focus on the young boys eyes, and see the same shade in them as he saw in the mirror, and the infatuation with the Impala. It clicked in his head and he felt his own eyes flash with several emotions all at once: love, regret, anger, pain. This didn't go unnoticed by the blonde as she was unable to unlock her eyes from his. Six damn years and she still felt that connection. Luckily, Nathan walked in and noticed the visibly tense situation, clearing his throat, and offering up a "hey guys."

Peyton brought her attention back to her son. "No, honey, we can't. I want you to go with your uncle Nathan now, okay?"

"But mom, I want to see the Impala." The child whined.

"J.D. I said go with your Uncle Nathan. Now get your stuff. I'll pick you up later." She sternly reiterated despite her heart protesting her harshness. She didn't really want him around when she and Dean actually spoke.

"Sawyer?" Nathan's voice broke through, and she glanced in his direction noticing the worry on his face. "Everything okay? Do you need me to come back?"

"No, just take J.D. and make sure he has a fun time with Jamie." She said softening her tone. "J.D., I love you, I'll pick you up tonight, and I'll make it up to you okay?" she said as she leaned down to wrap him in a hug and kiss his cheek, just long enough for him to wipe it away, and weakly whisper a disappointed 'okay'.

As soon as the bell on the door rang to indicate they were gone, her gaze once again returned to the man she loved despite her hatred for him. "Dean, what the hell are you doing here?"

He rose to stand in front of her with a look nearing disguist on his face. He had a son that he didn't know about and she was asking what he was doing here. "I have a son." He whispered in almost disbelief as water began to cloud his eyes threatening release, but he got a hold of himself, and felt the sting in his cheek clearly when the blonde swung her hand up to meet the side of his face. He caught her wrist when she attempted to repeat the actions, her eyes boring into his, both not giving in the words threatening to leave their lips. She was now the one feeling the room getting smaller, and she wiggled her hand free and then rushed out the door before he could catch her.


	3. Chapter 3

A/N: I don't own One Tree Hill or Supernatural. This chapter should reveal a little more about the past, hopefully you can keep up with scattered timeline. If not let me know, and I will try to explain it better. Italics are flashbacks. Also keep in mind the stories are not the same as we saw on the show (i.e. Luke and Peyton weren't a couple. Nathan and Peyton dated a while longer. I will explain how Haley came into the picture at some point.) Also, Lucas never met Dean, he just heard the story from Peyton. Thanks for the reviews, and for reading. Enjoy.  


* * *

Lucas and Sam had watched the whole scene progress before their eyes, both confused and ignorant of the fact that Dean and Peyton had a history.

Sam was the first to speak after watching the blonde run out frantically. "What the hell is going on Dean?"

Dean didn't respond, he just stood there in that spot with a pained expression on his face. Not much could stir these emotions in him, Sam himself had only seen so much emotion after the death of their mother, leaving the Sawyers house, and then again when their father died.

"Dean?" Luke's voice broke through the man clouded thoughts. "Dean Winchester. I know what happened, he left my friend pregnant in LA before she woke up one morning, and hasn't bothered to show his face since. That's what happened."

"You don't know what you're talking about, I never…I didn't know she was pregnant."

"Yeah, cause leaving a woman in the middle of the night without saying goodbye is okay if she isn't pregnant." He wasn't expecting to ever see the man who had shattered his friend's heart, but he was happy at the way his words were coming out. Hoping they would sting as much as he intended them too.

Sam stood and faced his brother. "Dean, you didn't?" He hoped his brother had an excuse. "You didn't even tell her goodbye?"

"Sam, you don't understand. Everything was happening with you, and I just wanted to get you out of there before it destroyed you more than it already had. I didn't want to end it like I did." Jessica died on the ceiling of their apartment the night Dean left LA for good. He wanted to fix his brother, but in the process he broke someone else that he loved.

"You could have at least called her Dean. You're an asshole, you know that?"

"You don't understand." He walked towards the door. "I just need to be alone for a little while."

He pushed the door of the café open, cringing slightly as he reached the cool night air. It reminded him of a night the same week he left LA.

"_Dean!" she squealed as he stopped their pace once more for yet another kiss.  
_

"_You know you love my lips, especially on yours."_

_She sighed, grinning "I do." She said grabbing the muscle filled sleeve of his green shirt, much like one she stole from him the first time they slept together._

"_So, are we ever going to making to this record store you're dragging me to?" He looked at her questioningly, his eyes sparkling in the moonlight._

"_If you would quit stopping to kiss me we would." She flashed her own green eyes in his direction, a smile toying with her lips._

"_You're so mean."_

"_Just truthful, now get over it, I think they have cassettes for your precious car."_

"_Good, otherwise, but I still might need you to make it up to me sometime."_

"_Oh because we have only been living together for the last year, and we never have sex. Ever."_

"_Not enough." He stated plainly before they walked into the door of the record store, only to get another smile from her direction._

"_You're awful. You're just lucky that I love you so much."_

"_That I am." He said reaching for the kiss album placed in the front of one of the bins. "Hey I don't think you have this one."_

"_Oooh, you're right, _I_ don't." She said excitedly. She loved music, and over the year of living under one roof, she had slowly drifted more into his musical taste and him into hers. He would buy cassettes of her favorite albums so that when he took extended trips away, he could feel like she was with him in the car. _

"_I could watch you shop for records everyday for the rest of my life. You're like a kid in a candy store."  
_

"_Stick around and you can."_

"_I will." He said smugly before kissing her lips once more, this time quickly._

He regretted saying those words every day after he left. He was stupid enough to tell her he would stick around only three days before disappearing in the middle of the night, leaving only an empty closet and his favorite cassette on the pillow. He still couldn't understand how he took so many trips without her finding out what he does for a living. He chalked it up as one more thing on the list of things he did wrong to her.

* * *

When Peyton fled the café, she let her feet take her away, leaving nothing to her mind. That's how she ended up at the graveyard in front of Anna's grave, her knees covering her face and hair covering her knees. Why did he come back now, she wasn't prepared to see him again, not after six years. Not one telephone call, not a letter, not even a friend to tell her he was okay. He disappeared without as much as a goodbye.

"Oh, mom, how did I let everything get so screwed up?" she sighed hoping that talk to her mom, much like she used do so often, might help her figure out what to do. "I can finally give J.D. the father he never knew. I don't think I can bring myself to do it. I don't want him to think that Dean doesn't love him the next time he up and decides to leave in the middle of the night." She let the sobs overtake her trembling body, wrapping her arms more tightly around her to shield her from the chill wind.

Her body, however, immediately stiffened at the feel of a leather jacket draping over her shoulders. She froze, afraid it was him, but after breathing, she smelled the familiar scent and turned into the arms of the man who had become her best friend despite their history. She closed her eyes remembering the day when she thought Nathan would never forgive her.

"_Peyton!" she heard his voice yell from the bottom of her stairs. She hadn't heard a word from him since she saw him in the back of the SUV with some slut from Bear Creek. Everyone had been telling her that he was a cheating ass, but she couldn't believe that the boy she loved would do that to her. Two years together and apparently all of those rumors were true._

_She quickly pushed away the arm that was wrapped around her waste, and grabbed a shirt off the floor and exited the bedroom quietly closing the door behind her. "Nathan, what are you doing here?"_

_He slipped a hand in her hair, greeting her with a kiss. "I had to come and see my girlfriend before my dad makes me practice." He smiled the Scott smile, and she almost let herself forget what happened. Almost, until his next comment and she remembered the sleeping body in the next room. "Where'd you get that shirt?" He referred to the pale army green button up he had never seen before._

_Suddenly her thoughts flashed back to the skinny brunette he cheated on her with. "Where'd you go last night, Nathan? One minute you were there drinking a beer, and the next I couldn't find you anywhere in the house?" Her voice had turned cold and pointed._

"_Drank too much, I went for a walk." He didn't even bat an eye, despite the lie she had just caught him in._

"_A walk to the SUV, with a brunette skank. Nice walk!"_

"_Peyton, I don't know what you're talking about. It was probably Tim, he was all over that Nikki chick from Bear Creek." He grasped her hands in his own, already assuming she believed him. He then proceeded to kiss around her cheek, and then down her neck, and again she managed to forget. The chemistry with her and Nathan had always been hot, and became apparent every time they fought. She leaned against the door and before she could react he had twisted the doorknob and was pushing them into the room, until the next minute and she felt all physical connection abruptly stop._

"_What the hell is this? Who are you?" She watched as Dean slowly leaned up revealing a tan buff bare chest, slowly wiping his eyes with his hand, one eyelid slightly more open than the other adjusting to the light. He wasn't quite prepared for the boyfriend, especially not the same one parked in the driveway when he brought this same girl home from River Road a couple months ago._

_Peyton tensed up, and when she watch Nathan lunge forward she planted herself firmly between the bed and the 17 year old boy, for his sake as she knew Dean could probably take care of himself. "Nathan, stop. We were over the minute you slept with… Nikki, is it? Blame it on Tim all you want, but that was you in the back of your SUV last night. Now please just get out of my house."_

"_Damnit, Peyton, we would have been fine, why'd you have to do this?" She could see the hurt in his face, even if he had caused the same pain in her eyes she still felt guilty._

"_Do what; it's the same thing you did." She rebutted. "We're done. Just get the hell out."_

_She watched him storm out of the house and slam the front door before going to sit on the bed and resting her tear-filled eyes in her hands. Dean wasn't sure what to do. "I'm sorry, Peyton, I didn't realize you were still dating the jerk." He offered quietly while rubbing her back, which just so happened to possess his shirt. He couldn't help but notice how good it looked on her._

"_This needed to happen so that I wouldn't forgive him, and he wouldn't forgive me. You have no idea how complicated we were." She sighed, not completely heartbroken, with the man beside her definitely helping speed up the process, or making her forget it somewhat. _

"_Would it help if I said how amazing you look in my shirt?" He flashed her a grin._

"_It definitely would." She smirked leaning back down to kiss him. He didn't hesitate to reverse their roles, flipping her on her back in one swift motion. _

"_You sure dad isn't going to be come home? I mean, I don't think he'd appreciate this for his 17 year old daughter." He had been worried about seeing Larry since he had set foot in the house that he used to consider home. Last night, when he had found her in the bar using the fake id, drinking away her troubles, he just found her too sexy to even ruin the moment. Now though, he didn't want to be caught._

_She pushed him off her slowly. "Way to ruin the mood."_

"_I'm sorry, I just don't want his next image of me to be doing this, I always liked your father."_

_She sighed, still intrigued by the way her life intertwined with this handsome man's. "I'm going to take a cold shower." She said rolling her eyes. "And I'm keeping the shirt."_

"_But it's my favorite one." He pouted, a move that Dean never found himself doing often._

"_I'm sure you have another one because you know how sexy it makes you look, and if there is one thing I have learned about you, it's that you think you're the shit."_

_He chuckled. She already knew him well. "I am." He shook his head in rhythm smiling softly before leaning back down into the bed, hands resting behind his head._

"God, Nathan, I wish I would have never went to that bar that night. Then I wouldn't have fallen for the asshole. I wish you would never have cheated on me, you know what, this is all Nikki's fault. I should call Jake tonight and tell him that his wife was a skank."

"You know you don't mean any of that. I'm sorry I cheated, I was such a jerk, but this will all work out. I never liked Dean, you know that, but if you want to tell J.D. about him, I'll help you. And if Dean screws up that boy's life I will help you pick up the pieces. He'll be okay; he's strong like his mother."

"Thanks, Nate. I needed to hear that." She said burying her head against his shoulder as they began walking towards his house.


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: So in a previous chapter I mention the Impala. Anyway I mixed up the year, it is 67 not a 65. Just wanted to clear that up. Thanks again for the reviews and for reading. Also to answer the question, Pathan is in the past in my fic. I only bring them up because they were together during Dean and Peyton's first encounters. They are close friends now. Lucas and Peyton are also really good friends, and in my story there is no leyton history. They never dated or kissed. I will try to show how these friendships started at some point in the story. Thanks again. Enjoy.

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When Peyton and Nathan entered the house, Jamie and J.D. were playing guitar hero and Haley was baking chocolate chip cookies for the boys. Nathan had simply dropped the boy off earlier, and rushed back out saying that he had to check on Peyton. She had been worried. When she watched them walk through the doors she sighed in relief because Peyton was okay, but then she looked at her face and realized that maybe everything wasn't well.

"You guys are here, Thank God." She whispered as she removed herself from the spot by the counter to go reach them in a warm embrace. "Are you okay?" she asked looking towards Peyton. "What happened?"

Peyton motioned for her to walk out onto the patio with her, not wanting J.D. to overhear. She still was confused about what to do about the whole situation. How could she know that Dean wouldn't be gone before she even had a chance to tell him? "J.D.'s father showed up at the café tonight."

"What? Wait a second, he's not the man that J.D. came in rambling about with that car is he?" She said trying to get a grip on the situation.

She shook her head yes. "He's had it as long as I remember."

"How come you never told us? J.D. goes on, and on about them."

"I didn't want to talk about it? Besides Nathan already knew what he drove if I really needed to talk?"

"How does Nathan know?"

"Dean gave me a ride once when we were still dating, but that's another issue. I just don't know what I'm going to do." She pushed back the strands of hair that had fallen in her face and sighed deeply.

"Maybe you should go talk to him. Find out why he is here, and what he wants." Haley reasoned, well aware that the blonde probably didn't want to hear that. She was right.

"What he wants. Why should I care what the hell he wants. He walked out on me, in the middle of night! He didn't have the decency to say goodbye, and then I don't hear from him again for six years, five months, and twenty days." She trailed the last words as tears again took over her body.

Haley wrapped her friend in her arms smoothing her hair gently. "You counted…"

"Yes, I counted. I'm that pathetic." She whispered, defeated by the entire situation.

"Oh Peyton, it's not pathetic. And I only said you should see what he wants for J.D. If he wants to be a father to your son, I think J.D. deserves that. If he doesn't, well, I hate to say it, but it's probably best not to say anything."

Peyton sighed in relief, glad that her friend wasn't taking Dean's side for some unknown reason. She knew she hadn't been moments ago, but all of the emotions she was feeling at this moment were beginning to blind her. "I get it. I'm going to have to talk to him, aren't I?" Her eyes pleaded with her friend to tell her no. She didn't have to, not if she didn't want to, but those words never came.

"I'm afraid so, girly. Look, if he's mean or you just want to for the heck of it, send him over hear, and I'll personally kick his ass." She caught the blonde chuckling softly at the remark, thinking of Haley taking on Dean's strong body. "You can do this, you know."

"Thanks, Hales. I know." She leaned her back and looked at the stars briefly, hoping her mothers were watching over her, and hoping they would keep Dean from breaking her heart all over again. When she saw him standing in the café earlier, her heart involuntary leapt into hands despite all of the anger she felt towards him. That was where it would always gravitate, or maybe it never left. Maybe when they bonded over the loss of Anna when she was a child and he a teenager, maybe that was the moment that defined their fate. She cursed herself for secretly believing they were written in the stars, that would be fates cruel joke. "I better go find him. You promise you'll kick his ass if it gets bad?" she offered a half smile.

"I promise. J.D. will stay here tonight, I'll take him to school in the morning. You go and figure this out." Haley was so kind and understanding, and a great friend. Peyton had wondered what she could have seen in Nathan, but she knew and was glad that there was someone out there who could make Nathan the man she knew he could be. She really hated that she had hurt him with Dean. But Nathan and Peyton were destined for friendship, that she was sure. What she had with Dean was almost instant, and it somehow ran deeper than any other relationship, friendship or other.

_After her shower, she had to force Dean out of her bed, but not without promising they would have breakfast. That's how she found herself and Dean walking into Karen's Café, the only place in town that she thought Nathan would not see them._

_He was halfway through his plate of eggs before either of them spoke, she was first. "Last night was a mistake." She spoke quickly, hoping to get it out before she changed her mind and she looked into his eyes, the same eyes that had made bringing a man who was still practically a stranger home the night before seem like a good idea. She couldn't deny the attraction, but she was a little ashamed of herself._

"_If that what you want to believe, sweetheart." He said smirking at her, taking in her disheveled eyes. He could see she was wrestling with the thought of repeating last nights action or asking him to leave town for good. _

"_What's your problem anyway? How can you be so sincere sometimes, and then a complete ass another time?" She looked at him with curiosity._

"_Look, you're right last night was a mistake. A fun mistake." He smiled remembering their events. "But a mistake. The fact that your seventeen hasn't failed to escape me, or the messiness with the ex and everything." He couldn't be nice now. He had a life, and he knew it was wrong to go home with her. She had lost the same things he had, and he would be leaving, it's what he did._

"_Fine, if you thought it was a mistake, then it should be no problem leaving." She said on the verge of screaming, as she rose from her seat to walk away, but he caught her arm, an action that didn't go unnoticed by the older blonde haired woman behind the counter as she was left wondering what her son's girlfriend was doing there with a man she'd never seen before._

_Caught off guard by his the physical connection, she slid back into the booth, in time for him to add. "Don't get mad now, you started this. I believe you called it a mistake before I did." He caught her eyes with his, both silent for a moment. Both wondering what it was about the other that made them so attractive. Neither had imagined things turning out this way. She kept hoping he would say that last night was not a mistake, despite the fact she was with Nathan the day before. Something inside his eyes made her feel like he could fix her. He kept hoping she would say she wanted more than a one night stand, because despite his usual pattern he really did want to settle down one day, and she wasn't an ordinary girl. Something in her eyes said that she could handle all of the bullshit his life would put them through. _

_She finally broke eye contact and began laughing. "What's so funny?" he asked annoyed that she was laughing in middle of this argument._

"_Us, this whole argument. I mean, I brought you home from a bar after getting drunk, and we're both sitting here getting frustrated that we both are calling it a mistake." Her face went serious again, before she spoke further. "Do you think that maybe it's possible neither of us really thinks this was a mistake? I mean two days ago I was quite content to believe that I was in love with Nathan Scott, and somehow today I don't seem to be bothered by the fact that it really hurt him to see you in my bed, even if he was the jerk that cheated on me first."_

_He pushed the plate aside and took her hand across the table. "I feel a connection, but this wouldn't work. You're seventeen, I'm nearly ten years older than you. You seem like a great girl, but I know you've been through shit in your life. So have I. I'll only hurt you in the end. I'm the female version of a slut, I never stay in one town for more than a week at a time. I'm an asshole. You're better off if you just forget about all of this. I should go." He started to leave until her voice pulled him back._

"_Wait, I can't just have an amazing night with you, and then just let you walk away."_

"_What do you want? This can't work, I just told you why not."_

"_I just want something to remember it all by. I really do like you, even if I don't know that much about you." She whispered._

"_You already have my shirt." She pleaded with her eyes for something more. "Fine, come outside with me."_

_She followed him outside to his car, and when he told her to sit in the passenger side while he got in the driver's she listened. When he started up the old car, she was ready for whatever he had in mind. When he pulled up to the graveyard, she was confused, and when he lead her down the path of gray headstones until they reached one for Mary Winchester, she understood._

"_Your mom."_

"_My mom." He repeated in a low voice. "If you want to remember me, you should come here and talk to my mom. Maybe when you are visiting Anna you can just swing by and say hi or something." _

_She watched as Dean drove away that afternoon, thankful he had left his number so that he could come back next time Larry was in town. Thankful that she could see him again, even though they had both come to the understanding that what they shared that night could only ever be sex. _

That memory is what lead her back to the graveyard, down the same path that she had traveled once a week as long as she was in Tree Hill to the grave of not her mother, but the grave of his mother. She found him standing there, not moving even when he heard her footsteps approaching.

"I thought I might find you here." She whispered quietly.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he questioned as he turned to look at her moonlit face. He could see the tears that had trailed down her cheeks, and he could see the way life had wore her down.

She too could see how the years affected him. He looked tired. "How was I supposed to do that? Huh? You left me in the middle of the night. You didn't even have the decency to tell me to my face. About a week after you left is when I found out, and I tried calling you but your phone had been disconnected. You left me no way to get in touch with you. I had to do it all alone while you were you gone doing God knows what."

"Peyton.." he softened, but she was intent on speaking her mind while she still could.

"No, you don't get to be mad about this. You knew how to get in touch with me, and for six years apparently you never once bothered to find out if I was okay, or you would have known that J.D. existed."

"I'm sorry. I never came back or looked for you afterwards because I knew I wouldn't be strong enough to stay away."

"Was it that bad being with me?"

"No, but things were happening that I couldn't understand, and I was afraid of what they would do to you if I stayed or what they would do to Sam if I didn't help him. I loved you, I still do." He closed the distance between them and capture her lips in his own, thankful for the feel they offered.

"No Dean, it doesn't work like that. You can't just waltz back into my life, and say you still love me and expect everything to fall in line." She had wanted to hear those words again for so long, but now they stung, reminding her of the life she thought she had that disappeared.

"What does this mean for us, and our son?" he asked trying to gage where he was in the whole situation.

"How long are you going to be in town?" she asked coldly, but seriously.

"You know I have to leave for work."

"That's not what I meant. In LA, we made it work because you would go away for the jobs, but you would always come back. That's what I mean, are you coming back after each trip, or are you staying gone like the last time."

"Peyton, you will have to kick me out of this town to get rid of me." He joked softly hoping she would understand his point.

"Then we'll talk about telling J.D., but this, us, we can't go back." He swallowed hard, not wanting to let that statement be true, but knowing that if he pushed it, it would only hurt them both.

"Thank you, Peyton. Can I ask you a question?" He said as they began trailing their way out of the graveyard. When she shook her head, he continued. "What does J.D. stand for?"

"I wanted there to be a connection, especially since I didn't think the two of you would ever meet. It doesn't really flow, but it's John Dean." His heart sank. She had named their son after his father and him, and he had walked away from it all, leaving her in so much pain, and all alone.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: I don't own One Tree Hill or Supernatural. This chapter doesn't have an flashbacks, but there will be more in the future. It took me a while to write this chapter, but here it is. Enjoy.

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As they walked further away from the graveyard, she didn't scream at him when he put his jacket over her shoulders and then his arm around her waist.. In fact, she wasn't saying anything to him at all, and she didn't mind the feeling of someone else being there. It was dark and despite what one would think, bad things do happen in Tree Hill. Dean had a presence that said he could take on anything, and that had always made Peyton feel safe.

That was until they heard screams coming from an empty store along the street they were walking on. "Shh" He whispered stopping, as she gripped onto his arm awaiting his assessment. After a moment, he added. "Wait here."

"Are you going in there?" she flashed a concerned look at him. His eyes peered back at her momentarily. "I have to, someone could be hurt."

He began walking into the dark building, leaving her standing on the outside. Before he could reach the dirty glass door, she had reattached herself to his arm. "I'm not staying out here alone."

"Fine, stay behind me." They entered the building and began following the sounds of shuffling assuming that would be where they would find the girl behind the screaming. Each corner, Dean would stop and peer around checking for anything on the other side before continuing. Peyton never loosened her grip, in fact, it only got tighter the closer they came to the noises.

Coming upon plastic tarp hanging from the ceiling around a small portion of the room, Dean scrambled for the edge of the pieces, looking for a way in. Peyton held her breath as she watched him prepare to open the barricade between them and whatever was waiting for them.

He jerked the plastic quickly causing the tape to rip from the roof and drywall dust to fall and cover him and the air surrounding them. They heard gasps with his action, and the dust cleared to reveal a teenage boy and teenage girl, obviously just using the place as a getaway to be alone.

"Teenagers. One of you scream?" Dean huffed out, relieved that they found only this and not something more serious. He had heard about the ghost sighting and even a few disappearances in these buildings, and with that being the original reason he and Sam came to the town he was afraid of what they might have found.

When the girl's face turned bright red, and the boy spoke they had their answer. "Sorry, we just wanted someplace to be alone." Dean flashed a grin in understanding; obviously he remembered being a teenager, taking girls to odd places to convince them to sleep with him. He then remembered Peyton tightly attached to his side, and he changed his demeanor. "Get dressed. Go home. It's not safe out here." He barked the orders before turning back to Peyton. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah." She whispered, still shaken a little.

"Let's get you home." He said wrapping his arm around her shoulders in attempt at comfort, which seemed to work for Peyton in the dark of night. Dean wouldn't let anything physically happen to her.

They waited outside to make sure the teenagers left and went home hopefully. Neither had needed to ask the other to wait. Dean didn't want anyone to disappear, so he wanted to make sure they made it out alive. Peyton, with her maternal instincts, didn't want the two kids to be out alone after dark in creepy building. When the teenagers hastily exited the building and began walking to their car, they again started for her house. They walked in silence, his arms remaining around her shoulder, for the remainder of the way. He looked on fondly at the house, he hadn't seen in years. Peyton was thankful to see her home, suddenly afraid of everything that could be in the shadows of the night. "You still live here?" he asked quietly.

"Yeah, when I moved back, Dad still had everything the same, we just changed the spare room into J.D.'s." They reached the front porch and the lighting so they could see each other. She stifled a chuckle.

"What?" he questioned at her amusement.

"You're a mess, the dust from back there." She laughed quietly.

"Yeah. I should probably get back and clean up." He noticed she had barely any of the white dust on her despite her being right beside him. He took in her appearance for the first time since he had seen her again. Their first meeting had been overwhelmed with emotion, but now he could really see her. She looked even more beautiful than he remembered, tired but beautiful. He had missed the way her curls sprung up as she walked, or the way her eyes flickered in the moonlight, he missed her.

She shifted awkwardly under his gaze, and tried to break the silence. "Thanks for letting me hold on to you all night. I'm not really sure why I was so frightened, but thanks."

"Peyton…" he started.

"Dean, don't. Look, we should probably talk about what we are going to do with J.D. You can come in, have a cup of coffee or something."

"I need to go home and shower, I'll come back."

"I have running water, you know. You can clean up here." He missed her sarcasm, too. Of course she had running water. He was amazed that she would consider letting him into her house after the way he left.

"I don't think that's a very good idea. I'm sorry. I'll go back to the hotel and come back." He started to turn, but before he began descending the porch steps she caught his arm.

"Dean, did you ever think that I maybe I don't want you to leave because I don't trust that you'll come back." She had trouble getting out the statement, looking at the remnants of the relationship they once had.

He caught sight of the trails of tears running down her face, her bottom lips tucked in between her teeth as she tried to fight back the emotions. "Peyton, I never meant to…"

"I'm sure you didn't mean to, but you did. I think you owe it to me and to have this discussion."

"Okay" was all he said as they entered the house, sad that she had lost so much trust in him.

"You remember where the bathroom is, there are towels under the sink." She stated plainly as she took the entrance way to the kitchen and he the stairs to the bathroom. She started the coffee pot and sat down at the table, grabbing her phone.

"Nathan, hey is J.D. asleep?" she spoke quietly, but not so she wouldn't be heard. She was simply drained.

"_Yeah, he's been out for about an hour now? Are you okay, Sawyer?"_

"I've been better, but I'm okay as long J.D. isn't too angry with me."

"_I talked to him, he seems okay. It helps that he got to have a sleepover on a school night. Do you need me to come over, or you can come over here?"_

"I'm fine, Thanks, Nate, for everything. I'll call you in the morning."

"_Night, Sawyer."_

Peyton then walked upstairs and grabbed his clothes from the bathroom floor, taking them downstairs to wash them as she had done so many times in her early adulthood years. She grabbed two cups from the cabinet, and filled one of them taking it to the table and sipping it, trying in her mind to figure out what she would say. Her cell phone beeped, telling her the battery was dying, so she ran back up the stairs and put in on the charger. She was going to go right back down, but she caught sight of one of her drawing above the door. It was one she had done in high school, and it still rang true for some people, especially the man in the shower. 'People always leave." She sat down on the edge of the bed and put her head in her hands, trying to push the pain out of her heart so that she could have this conversation with Dean, for J.D.'s sake.

Dean had washed all of the dust off of his body and was now just buying time before talking to Peyton. He let the warm water beat down on his skin, as he closed his eyes and tried to think of ways he could gain Peyton's trust back. He had none. He wondered where all of his confidence had gone, he knew he didn't normally act like this, but being around her after hurting her so deeply apparently was making him angry with himself. Dean was actually ashamed of his choices; despite the fact that he did what he thought was right at the time.

He realized he couldn't stay in the shower all night, and turned the faucet off, grabbing the towel as he exited. He didn't find his clothes on the floor where he left them, and cursed himself for agreeing to shower here. He had known it wouldn't be a good idea. He exited the bathroom slowly, a towel wrapped around his waist. "Peyton…?" He spoke quietly.

"Yeah…" She quietly answered through her tears as he entered her room.

"I need clothes."

"Oh, sorry. I wasn't thinking. I put yours in the washer" She was rambling as she rose without looking at him and went to the bottom drawer of her dresser searching for something she might still have of his. She only found the green shirt she had kept from all those years earlier, and she wasn't planning to give that back to him, or letting him know that she had kept it. "I'll have to get something of Dad's." She stared at the drawer in defeat. Dean still perched by the door of her room was wondering why he didn't just think to go in Larry's room first, instead of making her deal with this. He hated seeing her in the hollow unhappy state.

She started towards the door when she looked at him, and noticed the new marks on his body. "You have new scars." She said seemingly distracted from the task of getting him clothes. She always hated seeing his scars, never knowing where they originated from because he would never divulge that information. They saddened her, knowing that they meant he had suffered through so much physical pain.

"It's nothing." He explained as she traced the largest one with her fingertips, compassion in her eyes. Her fingers were a little rougher than he remembered them, but she still applied the same pressure on his skin as she used to. He remembered how much he wished his scars would disappear so that they could no longer make her sad.

"Are you ever going to tell me what it is that you do?" He knew the question would come up, especially now that trust was an issue. He still didn't know how he had continued their relationship without telling her, other than the fact that she had believed him when he said it was better if she didn't know.

"No." He said firmly, gaining a look of hurt from her as it escaped his mouth. "If I told you, I couldn't just take it back. I can't do that to you."

"Damn it, Dean. How did we even have a relationship?" She asked, never losing contact with his scar.

He reached down and with his index finger pushed her chin upward. He caught her beautiful green eyes with his own, and said. "Peyton, I know you want to believe that everything we went through, that our whole relationship was a lie. But it wasn't, you have to know that." His eyes pleaded with his words for her to agree.

"I know." She whispered, focusing back on his scar momentarily. Then noticing how he still looked as good as he did when she was seventeen, the woman in her who had abstained from sex for six years took over her actions and her lips found his.

He broke the contact, but with his lips still only centimeters from hers. "We can't. We have to talk about J.D."

"Tomorrow." She whispered with her eyes closed, feeling his breath warm her skin.

"You'll only regret it."

"It won't be the first time I've regretted it." And even though they both knew it was wrong, they had always had that attraction to one another. They had a feeling that together, they were somehow complete. Like they both grew up with whole families intact and normal. Like they were just …right, even if the circumstances were wrong. He was right; she would regret it in the morning. He already had plenty of regrets when it came to her, but this wouldn't be one.


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Don't own OTH or Supernatural.

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Dean, much like Peyton, liked to sleep, but he found himself waking at the first sign of sunlight. He was happy when he felt the sleeping blonde resting gently on his chest, her arms gripping his torso rather tightly. He knew his happiness would probably not last that long, when she woke up she would regret everything. Right now, this moment, was his to remember, he needed it to last him for what could possibly be the rest of his life. He had dreamt many times of a life where he would come home to Peyton and a family, of course he didn't know that family actually existed. He couldn't believe that he had missed out on so many years of his son's life already. He wasn't sure if he was going to get the opportunity to make up for any of it.

He was lifted from his thoughts when he felt the silky skin of her leg shift on his. "Morning," he whispered quietly, hoping to catch her gentle side and not bring her back to reality too quickly. "Look…I'm …"

He felt her finger touch his lips before he could finish. "Dean, shut up and just give me this time right now. We'll talk about it all soon enough."

"Okay." he replied as she laid her head back down and began talking as if they were having a normal lazy Sunday morning, ignoring their past and the fact that a lazy Sunday together was not something that would ever really be in their future.

"Tell me what you remember about my mom." She wanted to pretend, even for just an hour, that they had a wonderful life, where they could reminisce about their childhoods and everything else.

He was happy to give her that, and give himself that, fulfilling his dreams. "Anna was amazing, Sam and I wouldn't even have a gauge of what normal life is like if it hadn't been for her. I remember one time when I came home from school, I had a given my teacher flowers, and then right before school let out for the day, I saw her kissing the gym coach in the hallway. My 8 year old self was pretty devastated. Even then, I had too much pride to tell Anna that I had been turned down by a woman. So I just moped around the house all afternoon, blasting AC/DC on my tape player. She finally figured out that it had to have been a girl. When I came back from the store with Larry, we could smell the chocolate chip cookies before even opening the front door. When we came in she sat me down with a glass of milk and the cookies, and started telling me about how it took girls years to believe that cooties weren't real, and that one day I would meet a girl who that would want me just as much as I wanted to be with her.. When I finally admitted that it was my teacher and that she shouldn't have a fear of cooties; he got flustered and all she could say was 'Dean Winchester, you are going to be a heartbreaker.' The next day, I had moved on to Susie something and forgot all about the teacher." She chuckled thinking of the 8 year old Dean, and her mother giving advice to a young boy.

"Her chocolate chip cookies were awesome, weren't they?" she smiled, her head still resting on his chest. His hand rubbing her arm lightly; this was exactly what he dreamed about, more times than he could count.

"The best," he managed to get out before the phone rang.

Peyton reached over him to the nightstand where her phone was sitting, she was grateful that he obliged her request at normalcy for a few minutes, but now the real world awaited. She definitely wished that the man underneath her arm was an everyday staple in her life, but things had not worked out that way, and they had to figure out what that would mean. "Hey, sweetie. Are you ready for school?" she asked when she finally pulled the phone to her ear after pressing the flashing green button. Dean's eyes watched her anxiously as she spoke to her son, _his_ son. "Be good for Haley and your teacher. I'll pick you up at three. I love you." "Have a good day." It was definitely back to the real world because in the normal life they were pretending to have, Dean would have had a part in that phone call.

She looked at him when she hung up the phone, knowing that now was the best time to have the conversation they should have had last night; however, he spoke first. "So last night, I'm sorry."

"Dean, women get horny too." Maybe it wasn't all just because she has needs, maybe she just wanted to feel him again. She couldn't say that years of hate had washed away her love for him, it just overshadowed it.

Dean could only pull the covers over his bare skin, and smirk. "I feel so used."

"Don't." she sighed taking the comforter with her as she rose from her double bed.

"What?" he flashed her a grin.

"Don't be funny, and charming, and don't flash me that smile, or look at me with those eyes. Don't remind me of what we don't have anymore. Maybe last night was a mistake after all."

"I'm sorry, maybe we should just talk about J.D."

"Maybe we should." She responded from the closet where she was pulling on a pair of black pants and a button up shirt, getting ready for another day at the café. When she emerged, she stared at him putting his jeans on, and sitting down to put on his boots, "Are you prepared to be a father, because if you're not, I cannot put him through losing you at the first whim you get to skip out of his life?"

"I have never wanted anything more in my life, Peyton. I dream about having a family, a family with you, and I know I screwed that up; but I had to save Sammy." He rose and put his hands on his shoulders, forcing her tear filled eyes to look at him. She could see that he really wanted this, but trusting him was something she felt impossible.

"If you hurt him, I'll…"

"I won't." he answered before she could finish her threat.

"Okay. I don't think we should tell him that you're his father yet, but if you want you can come to café after school, maybe try to get to know him first. I just need to trust that you're not going to hurt him first, okay?"

"I understand, I'll prove it to you, I swear."

"Alright, well, I have to get to work, I'll see you this afternoon, lock the door when you leave." She said walking out of the room and out of the house.

* * *

Peyton was cleaning a table on what had been a fairly slow day at the café, something she was thankful for, after the emotional baggage that had managed to catch up with her. "P. Sawyer, I'm back, did you miss me?"

"Brooke, how was New York?" she said hugging her friend quickly before returning to the table to grab the dirty plates and glasses and carrying them to the window of the kitchen.

"Oh my God" she whispered pulling Peyton to the side of the counter, furthest away from the young couple in the corner booth. "You had sex.," she whispered with her eyes wide.

"Brooke, it's not what you're thinking."

"So you didn't have sex?" she said in disbelief. When Peyton couldn't deny it, she knew it was exactly what she was thinking however. So when Lucas walked through the café doors, she shoved an apron in her husbands hands and took Peyton's hands quickly pulling her in the direction of the door. "Lucas will handle the café for a while, right?" she said expectantly looking at the man she loved.

"Right, I'll be fine."

"Okay" Peyton agreed as Brooke pulled her again, this time out the door and towards a park bench down the street.

"Spill, P."

"Dean's back." She said knowing that she couldn't hide anything from her best friend.

"Wait a second, Dean? THE Dean?" She asked in disbelief. She had never met him, even when he first started seeing Peyton in high school, and after the long absence, she hadn't imagined that she'd ever get to see him or see Peyton as happy as she once was. The latter still seemed an unlikely possibility still.

"Yeah, Brooke. And he wants a relationship with his son."

"That's good, right?"

"I don't know, but I'm going to let them get to know each other. I just don't think we need to tell J.D. that it's his father until I can be sure he isn't going to hurt him."

"Peyton, I think you are only going to hurt him by lying to him about this. He's a smart kid and when he figures it out, he'll hold a grudge like you do. you're stubborn, so is he." She reasoned, having been around the young child most of his life, she knew his traits, and she was afraid.

"Brooke, thanks for caring about this, but I can't tell him until I know Dean's going to stick around."

"Fine." Brooke knew that Peyton was serious and had probably ran through this scenario in her head for years now. "So do you want to tell me how you ended up having sex with him."

"It doesn't matter, it was just a one time thing. It's not going to happen again."

"Yeah, okay." Brooke didn't believe that for a minute. She had watched Peyton turn down man after man over the years because it was supposedly best for J.D., but Brooke had a feeling it involved her feelings for Dean.

"It's not going to be like that, it can't be."

"Peyton, I've seen you happy around J.D. but I haven't seen you anywhere near as happy as you were after the first time you two slept together. You deserve to be happy."

"Maybe so, Brooke, but he doesn't deserve to be happy with us, not after everything I've been through because he left."

"He made a mistake, he didn't know you were pregnant."

"I don't believe this, you're defending his actions." Peyton said angrily as she rose from the bench. "I have to get back to the café." She added before walking off.

When she reentered the small café again, she saw Lucas talking to a tall brunette man, When she got around the counter she was able to see his face. "Sam!!" she squealed before pulling the man into a hug.

"Peyton, you're not mad at me?" he said curiously while she released him.

"A little, but I know it was ultimately Dean's decision to stay away. Besides I got your postcards."

"I was hoping you would figure out those were from me. I just wanted you to know we didn't just forget about you, but I couldn't sign them or leave a paper trail leading anyone to us."

"I know, and I'm still not sure why that fact alone hasn't scared me away from you Winchesters. One day, ya'll are going to let me in on the secret." She smiled at him, despite the desperation of really wanting to know their secret, the reason they disappeared for weeks at a time with their lips sealed tightly with their destinations.

"One day, listen, I hate to bring this up, but have you seen him?" He just used the pronoun and not the name, knowing she would understand who she meant. "We have some work to do."

"Yeah, I've seen him, he'll be back here this afternoon. Wait a second, you have work to do?"

"Yeah.," he answered unsure of why this was an odd statement for her to here.

"So you guys are here on business?"

"Peyton, it's not what you think?" he said as he grabbed her hands.

"Sure it is," she whispered as the tears formed.

He couldn't deny that they came here for a job, but he also couldn't forget the look in Dean's eye when he mentioned the things that were happening in Tree Hill. He saw hope, love, regret, fear, and other emotions that he hadn't been able to force out of Dean in years. "He missed you, Peyton, he thought leaving with me would be for the best."

"I remembering hearing about Jessica; I can't imagine what you went through. I'm sorry." Maybe she didn't know the details, just that it was in a fire much like their mother had died. She didn't know that it was on the roof of Sam's room because of a demon. Sam was thankful for the hug she offered him though. He had some years to adjust to life with Jessica, but sometimes it still hurt more than he cared to feel. He also knew part of the reason Dean left was out of fear that the same thing would happen to the woman he was staring at right now.

"Thanks, I need to go find Dean."

"You should come to dinner tonight."

"Yeah, okay."

"Six thirty-ish."

"I'll see you, Peyton."

"Bye Sam." She watched his figure walk out of sight before turning to a kind of stunned, worried looking Lucas. "Don't ask me if I'm okay. You should probably go catch up with your wife. She was trying to help me sort through things and I kind of went off on her and walked away. I'll call her later and apologize."

"Call me if you need me."

"I will," she affirmed as he removed the apron and walked towards the door, "And thanks for manning the café for the last two days." And she was left with her thoughts again. A lot had happened over the last 24 hours.


End file.
